


(Won’t You) Build Me Up

by kyungjagi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Engineer!Jongin, Fluff, M/M, Romance, architect!Kyungsoo, bestfriends to lovers, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 00:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17294492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyungjagi/pseuds/kyungjagi
Summary: Kim Jongin is hiring Architect Do Kyungsoo to plan his future house, and maybe their future together as well.





	(Won’t You) Build Me Up

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #15: Kim Jongin is planning to hire his high school crush, Architect Do Kyungsoo to plan his future house, all the while Jongin is busy planning on winning the architect’s heart, and this is his last chance.  
> “Hi, I’m Kim Jongin, I’d like you to design our future house.”  
> “W-what?”
> 
>  
> 
> Hello prompter! I hope you like my take on your lovely prompt~ I kind of changed it a bit to fit it into the background of the story. Thank you so much to the mods for still letting me send in my entry albeit being late. This is my first ever fic fest and I’m really happy I joined!
> 
> I hope you enjoy my take on Kyungsoo and Jongin’s love story for this prompt~

It’s 2005 in Gyeonggi-do. A chilling 2AM, a vast night sky, sirens going off below them, the pretty lights of the small amount of buildings around, and two rusty folding chairs on two separate balconies. A routine started when one couldn’t sleep back in 2002, awkward hello’s, and accidental friendships turned into inseparable bonds. Balcony Night, it was. Stupid, it was, teased the older, but sentimental it was, he knew.

They’ve lived in an apartment since they were young. Jongin and Kyungsoo making use of the long flights of stairs to play chase. The security guard at the lobby, Mr. Im, always scolding them for bouncing in the elevator and bringing them up to their parents with their ears in Mr. Im’s hands. They laugh it off during Balcony Night, and thinking of other ways to rile up the sixty-year old man the next day. They would often have sleepovers in each other’s apartment every now and then because unlike other kids’ house whose best friend was too far to have a sleepover, Jongin and Kyungsoo were allowed to have as many sleepovers as they pleased.

It was the little things they saw as huge advantages to their friendship. Walking together going to school, always waiting for Jongin in the morning because he always wakes up late and eats his breakfast slowly. Waiting for Kyungsoo in the afternoon because he has extra advanced classes to take.

“Hyung, have you ever thought of living in a house?” Jongin suddenly asked the older boy on the other balcony to his right. Kyungsoo looked to Jongin and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “What do you mean? We are living in a house, Jongin.”

“No, I mean like, a real house. The one with only two floors and where you don’t have to share it with lots of people. A place where it’s just quiet and where loud buses and trains don’t pass by. A place with no elevators and just stairs. Oh! Maybe with a garden too because my mom loves to garden and she just had to settle with this,” Jongin points to his back where there was a small flower box with white peonies, “With a house, we could have more room to play! I would have my own big room and we can play all day there. I’d have a bigger balcony than this and we could watch the stars lying down. Wah~ Just think about it hyung, houses just seem like such a fun place to live in rather than this apartment.”

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to feel. He didn’t know if he should feel sad about Jongin’s far off dream or happy because Jongin saw them in this house of his. They’ve been living in this apartment ever since they were babies and already practically grew up here. He never once thought about what living in a house would be like. He knew houses were expensive, and knew that Jongin knew this too.

Kyungsoo didn’t know what else to say to that. He didn’t want to kill Jongin’s dream by saying that they could never live in such a place. And even so, Kyungsoo could never visit Jongin anymore because houses in their neighborhood were at least an hour away from where they were now. Kyungsoo knew his parents had no plan of moving out anytime soon. So hearing this from Jongin now, Kyungsoo thinks that Jongin’s parents have been talking about it.

“It’s getting late, Jongin. We should head to bed,” Kyungsoo turns to smile at Jongin and saw that he was looking intently at Kyungsoo. Jongin’s brows were furrowed and his lips pursed, he just nodded.

“Yeah, I’m tired too. Good night, hyung.” Jongin stretched when he stood up, a yawn escaping his mouth.

“See you in the morning. Wake up early!” Kyungsoo whisper-yelled to him and Jongin just laughed and murmured a “yeah, yeah” to Kyungsoo. They laughed and waved goodbye to each other before going in.

•

The chime of the bell to the convenience store’s entrance sounded also as the high school boys loudly chatted and laughed.

It was now 2008 and a hot day in Gyeonggi-do. The students just finished school and wanted to go out for a cold treat before heading to the arcade to play games. Kyungsoo was laughing loudly with his friends from his class, already talking about what game they should play later and how they were teasing him because they knew Kyungsoo would lose yet again.

It wasn’t until one of Kyungsoo’s friends called his attention as he was choosing what flavor of Melona he should get.

“Hey, Kyungsoo, isn’t that your neighbor Jongin?” the boy asked him while he was already eating his cold treat.

“What? Where?” His eyes were searching the small convenience store and sure enough, he saw his best friend in one of the tables the store had.

Jongin wasn’t alone though. He was with a girl from their school.

“Oh. There he is.” He said dumbfoundedly and continued his search for the coldest Strawberry Melona in the freezer. All of his friends were already paying and he was left alone with the boy who pointed out that his best friend was here. He turned to look at his classmate and asked why he was looking at him strangely.

“You won’t say ‘hi’ to him at least?” the boy was eyeing Kyungsoo in confusion while still eating his ice cream, the treat starting to melt at the bottom.

“It’s fine, he’s busy anyway. Man, have you paid for that yet? Let’s go before that thing starts melting.” Kyungsoo halfheartedly laughs and leads the way to the counter, not forgetting to spare a glance at Jongin who was laughing with his friend.

Kyungsoo would have normally been hanging out with Jongin right now as it was a Friday and there were no classes the next day. They would have gone to the arcade together or watched movies at Jongin’s room back at the apartment. But Jongin told him that he already had plans for today and bid him with a ‘see you tomorrow, hyung’ before he ran to the exit of their school.

It wasn’t the first time Kyungsoo’s seen Jongin with a girl before. Jongin has had his fair share of flings with the girls in their school because he was really popular among them. He wouldn’t deny this too that Jongin was indeed very good-looking. He put off the baby fat he had, he started fixing his hair every morning, and dressing up really nicely. He was almost jealous. Jealous of the fact that he had to share Jongin with someone else, and jealous of the fact that Jongin only liked girls.

He’d never tell Jongin this, though. Jongin should never know about Kyungsoo’s jealousy. Kyungsoo’s preference. Kyungsoo’s crush.

•

It’s 2010 at night in their balcony again. The stars are the same as they were back in 2002 but they weren’t on separate balconies tonight. They were on Kyungsoo’s balcony getting ready for a sleepover on a Saturday night. Two folding chairs set up in the cramped balcony, feet up on the railing, eyes fixed on the night sky.

“We’re graduating high school soon, hyung.” Jongin nudged Kyungsoo with his shoulder, their eyes not leaving the night sky.

“Yeah, is everything okay with your requirements?”

“Of course, I’m the best in our class, you know.”

Kyungsoo scoffed and turned to look at Jongin’s smug face. How his lips have curled a little to the right in a smirk and his hands on the back of his neck.

_He’s awfully handsome tonight_ , Kyungsoo thought.

“Yeah, right. Moonkyu told me you copied his assignment again during homeroom.” Kyungsoo shook his head in disbelief and tsk’ed. “When are you gonna stop that habit, seriously.”

It was Jongin who scoffed now because Kyungsoo was no far from how he does in school. “Says the guy who bought a girl banana milk for her notes, Man, I thought you were trying to woo her,” he laughed at Kyungsoo’s embarrassment. “But nope, still the same Kyungsoo even in high school, I see.”

“I’m sorry not all of us want to woo girls in school, Mr. Kim. I, in fact, would like to woo my parents into getting me to Seoul University.” He flicked Jongin on the head but stopped laughing when he noticed the change of aura on the balcony.

“You’ve decided already?” Jongin puts his feet down and his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie. He turns to Kyungsoo and became serious all of a sudden. Definitely not something Kyungsoo sees everyday. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Kyungsoo has been putting off telling Jongin because he knew Jongin would settle for what Kyungsoo wanted. He would convince his parents to let him study in the same school as Kyungsoo making up some lame excuse that he can’t live without him and his parents would succumb to his request.

“It slipped my mind, I guess.. How about you? Where do you plan to go?” Kyungsoo’s hand was on his lap now playing with the hem of his shirt.

College was a sensitive topic for them because he knew once they graduated, nothing would ever be the same.

“I wanted to know where you were going first because my parents are thinking of letting me study abroad, hyung.”

Kyungsoo quickly turned to look at Jongin, the loose thread on his shirt completely forgotten. “Abroad? W-wow, that’s so cool, Jongin.”

“Hyung, don’t lie. I know you hate it.”

He was right. He did hate the fact that Jongin was leaving the country. He would have been fine to be in different schools in the same country because he knew that somehow they could make it work, but living in separate countries has Kyungsoo even more anxious on what’s to happen when they graduate.

“America?”

“Yeah..”

“No really, that’s nice, Jongin. I’m excited for you.” Kyungsoo tries his best to genuinely smile at the younger and fixes his stare at the night sky once again. It isn’t until he hears the other’s chair moving towards him and a head on his shoulder.

Kyungsoo freezes. Jongin’s head is on his shoulder, his hands still in the pocket of his hoodie. Kyungsoo keeps his hands clasped together and looking at the night sky, looking for something, anything than focusing his attention on the weight on his shoulder and in his heart.

“What do you want to be in the future, hyung?” Jongin asks out of the blue, his eyes closed but his mind attentive.

“An architect.” Kyungsoo replied.

“Ah, how funny, I want to be an engineer. We’re really inseparable, huh?” Jongin lifts his head a little and looks at the older. Their faces too close for comfort, too close to be called ‘just friends’. He smiles at how his hyung is too fixated at the stars above them, he ends up studying his features and admiring the fact that Kyungsoo hasn’t changed at all.

“I hope we work together in the future, hyung.” He whispers to him, his lips close enough to Kyungsoo’s ear. He laughs when Kyungsoo shivers slightly and closes his eyes. He lays his head back on his shoulder and yawns.

“We should get some sleep.. it’s.. it’s getting late.” Kyungsoo finally says.

Jongin nods and gets up to fix his chair.

Kyungsoo takes a minute to calm his heart before following the younger.

•

Sleeping in the same bed wasn’t new to them anymore. They’ve been doing this since they were kids and not once have they felt awkward about it. Their parents would nag at them in the morning for being too loud at night, jumping on the bed, and eating in each other’s room.

But now seventeen and a bit taller, Kyungsoo’s bed just wasn’t fit for them anymore.

Kyungsoo volunteered to sleep on the floor last night but Jongin wasn’t having any of it and insisted that they slept on the same bed. Kyungsoo, of course, would be okay to sleep in the same bed as his best friend because it isn’t something they’ve never done before. But the new fact that Jongin actually sleeps half naked now has Kyungsoo gritting his teeth and sleeping on the farthest edge of his bed and praying to the Lord that they don’t end up sticking to each other in the morning.

However, the Almighty probably did not listen to any of Kyungsoo’s prayers because here he was now, head pressed to Jongin’s bare chest, legs tangled under the blanket, and the taller’s arm over his waist.

Maybe if he didn’t think of Jongin as more than a friend, he would be like, “cool, body heat”, but nope, he definitely likes him in something way more than the platonic sense. His first instinct was to detach himself right away from the sleeping boy but then he thought that this was his last piece of intimacy he would ever have with Jongin.

He tilts his head up to Jongin’s face level and gets all flustered because they’re too close to each other. One wrong move and his lips would have touched the other’s. He flushed at the idea and wills himself not to move too much.

His hand betrays him though as his thumb caresses Jongin’s cheek and has the biggest urge to kiss him but he knows it’s wrong. He knows he can never, ever do that to Jongin.

“You fool,” he mouths, “why can’t you see I like you?”

His thumb travels to Jongin’s lips and he can’t stop admiring the pout the younger has right now, his eyebrows creasing together and Kyungsoo brushes it away with his thumb.

He’s such a heavy sleeper, Kyungsoo thought.

He thumbs at his eyebrows and is in awe of how long his eyelashes are.

“I bet those other girls have never seen you this close.” he mouths again. He laughs to himself and sighs.

“I wish it was me instead.” Kyungsoo whispers as he drowses back to sleep.

Jongin pulls him in tighter.

•

Three months later and they have already graduated. It would have been all so climatic and exciting.

This was the day he wanted to finally tell Jongin. He knew that it could be his last chance because Jongin was leaving the country in one week and he didn’t have much time left. He had to tell him everything he’s been feeling since that one night in 2005. The Balcony Night where he had admitted to himself that he was definitely in love with this boy.

Kyungsoo’s imagined this in his head so many times but he never would have thought Jongin would leave him by introducing his first real girlfriend to him and Jongin’s parents.

All the scenarios he has played in his head were all happy, exciting, maybe a bit sad, and contentment.

The flowers he prepared hit the floor as his parents ran after him.

He never would have thought that the real thing would be heartbreaking.

•

“Jongin, did you hear me? Have you prepared the blueprint already? That’s due tomorrow!” Sehun shook his shoulder to get his attention and sighed when he realized that Jongin was daydreaming once again.

Now 2019 and a big shot engineer in Seoul, there were no Balcony Nights anymore. Just regret every single night the stars come out on the balcony of his condominium in Gangnam.

“Yeah, I heard you. Have you spoken with the architect?” Jongin rubs his temples and focuses on the papers in front of him.

“Oh, we have a new architect on the project. Did Chanyeol not tell you?” Sehun looked up from his tablet.

Jongin sighed at the new piece of information in distaste because he hates working with new people. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me sooner? You know Chanyeol always forgets to tell me shit like this.” He sneers and slams his folder closed and stands up to go to his mini bar inside his office to open himself a can of beer.

“Man, isn’t it a bit early for drinking?” Sehun clicks his tongue at Jongin and instead opens the file of the new architect.

“Anyway, the new guy is really popular among our clients. Turns out the sponsor was a big fan of his and wanted him to design the building.” Sehun kept on reading the document and stopped on a piece of information that seemed familiar, “Hey, he’s from Gyeonggi-do too! Get this, he graduated the same high school as yours and you guys are just a year apart.”

Jongin stops drinking and slowly pulls the can of beer away from his face to turn to where Sehun was.

His heart is sinking before his brain even processes the information.

_“What do you want to be in the future, hyung?”_

_“An architect.” Kyungsoo replied._

“What did you say his name was again?” Jongin has a death grip on the can of beer and an arm supporting his weight on the wall nearest to him.

“Do Kyungsoo.”

•

_“Set up a meeting with his secretary for tomorrow. Don’t tell him my name. Tell them I’m a client looking for someone to design my house.”_

_“Are you out of your mind? Of course, they’re going to ask who he’s meeting with!” Sehun exclaimed._

_“Tell them he’s meeting Oh Sehun, then.”_

_“What the fuck is up with this guy, seriously.”_

Jongin didn’t know either.

He didn’t know if this was the right thing to do either after having no contact with the older man for nine years after their high school graduation.

Kyungsoo wouldn’t talk to him. He didn’t want to see him. Even when Jongin was about to leave the country. Kyungsoo stayed at home, unbothered by his leave.

Jongin wasn’t oblivious to why Kyungsoo was that way, of course. He knew about Kyungsoo’s feelings, the same way he knew his very own. The thing is, what held him back was the fear. The fear of falling in love with your best friend, the fear of judgement by their friends and family, the fear of Kyungsoo leaving him in the end.

But he did anyway. Even before anything even happened, he left anyway.

Jongin wanted so bad to chase after Kyungsoo when he ran away from the gymnasium where their graduation was held, he wanted so bad to leave his parents and his girlfriend behind but knew that it would have been rude to both parties.

Instead, he stayed glued to his spot that day back in 2015, the girl’s arm on his, Jongin’s eyes on the white peonies on the floor.

He thought that Kyungsoo would come around before he left for America. But he was wrong. He only tried to get to Kyungsoo two days before his flight but his hyung wouldn’t talk to him. He wouldn’t come out of his room. He didn’t come out for Balcony Night.

On the plane alone to America, he was crying with Kyungsoo’s name on his lips.

He knew he would never have a chance again to tell the older how he really felt. They were a thousand miles apart, his calls and messages blocked, and it felt like they were strangers from the start.

So now, here he was, nine years older and white peonies in his hand. Thinking if this was a good idea, if this was too much, or if this was enough. He didn’t know. All he knew that this was finally a chance to see the older again and hoped that it could end better than it did nine years ago.

He saw Kyungsoo right away sitted by the window in the café he had chosen, and had to stop in his tracks because he couldn’t believe that he has changed a lot physically.

Clothing more expensive, legs crossed and shoes too shiny, hair cut short and styled, but his face, oh his beautiful face has not changed one bit.

It took great courage for Jongin to start walking again in Kyungsoo’s direction.

When Kyungsoo looked up to who has approached him on his side, he uncrossed his legs and his mouth was wide in shock.

“Hi, I’m Kim Jongin. I want you to design our future house.”

Kyungsoo looked at him carefully as if his eyes were playing tricks with him and that this was most definitely not his best friend from Gyeonggi-do. But with the white peonies in the man’s hand, and the exact same handsome smile he loved looked down at him, he was confused, because it really was Jongin.

“W-what?” He managed to say. “I’m sorry, I thought I was meeting with Oh Sehun?”

Jongin scratched the back of his neck and handed the white peonies to Kyungsoo who took it. Jongin sighed in relief and point to the chair opposite Kyungsoo if he could sit there. Kyungsoo just nodded and watched as Jongin took his seat in front of him.

“Oh Sehun is my secretary. I, on the other hand, want a house, Kyungsoo hyung.” He smiled at the older who was still confused but didn’t look like he wanted to leave anytime soon.

“Is it.. is it really you, Kim Jongin?”

“Yes, hyung. H-how have you been?”

“I’m well. How long have you been back?” Kyungsoo pushed the bouquet of peonies aside and put them beside his now cold coffee.

“Since I finished school. 2016.” He said quietly, trying not to shock the other.

Jongin flew back to South Korea as soon as he graduated and went back to their Gyeonggi-do apartment in search of Kyungsoo, but his parents said that Kyungsoo has already moved out and didn’t want Jongin to know where he was residing.

Kyungsoo just hummed in response playing with the petals of the peonies.

“Why aren’t you leaving, Kyungsoo?”

The older looked turned away from the flowers to look at Jongin’s scared eyes.

“You’re a client, aren’t you?” Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “Anyway, I apologize for the informalities earlier, but let’s discuss your house.”

Jongin’s heart dropped. Kyungsoo was avoiding the past.

Jongin closed his eyes for a second and looked at Kyungsoo who was already replacing the flowers on the table with his laptop.

“Our house.” He corrected the man in front of him.

“I’m sorry?”

“You’re designing our house, Kyungsoo hyung.”

Kyungsoo can’t take it anymore. He cannot take the strong, calm facade he had going on. When he first saw Jongin, he wanted to cry. He wanted to hit him over and over and leave right away. He wanted to shout at him and blame him for everything.

“You can’t do this, Jongin,” He grits his teeth and closes his laptop shut, making the other customers in the café look their way.

“You can’t just set me up and make me think that I was going to meet someone else, bring white fucking peonies, and tell me that you want a house together? Who do you think you are to decide that we’re okay?” Kyungsoo was enraged by now and his eyes were looking directly at Jongin’s.

“I’m deciding to apologize, hyung. I know that—“

“You don’t know anything, Jongin. If you did you wouldn’t have dated so many girls back then and admit to yourself that you were a coward. You are nothing but a coward, Kim Jongin.” Kyungsoo fixed his bag and stood up and turned to leave. “I’m sorry, I think we’ll have to cancel. I’ll direct you to someone else.”

Jongin ran after him outside the café and pulled his arm back. By now there were tears in Kyungsoo’s eyes and Jongin wanted nothing but to wipe at them and kiss him.

“I know. I’m a coward, Kyungsoo. God, I know that,” Jongin now had tears in his eyes too, he held Kyungsoo’s hands to his but Kyungsoo was trying to pull his away but Jongin wasn’t letting him. “It took me so long to admit to myself that I love you, Kyungsoo hyung. So fucking long. I blame myself too for being so scared of your rejection and what other people had to say about this kind of love. But I realized in the end that it didn’t matter what they had to say, all that really mattered was being with you.”

“You didn’t look for me.” Kyungsoo sniffled and looked away.

“I did. Everytime I had the semestral break, Christmas break, every single time I had the chance to come back home, the first thing I did was look for you.” He tightened his grip on the other’s hands. Afraid, that he’ll let go again.

“I couldn’t find you though, you didn’t want to be found.” He tugged Kyungsoo closer and put one hand on his cheek, the other hand still tightly holding the older’s hand.

“Jongin, I don’t know what to say..”

Kyungsoo wasn’t pushing him back yet. Instead, he leaned further to the hand on his cheek.

“Aren’t you scared? I mean, so much has changed in the past nine years.” Kyungsoo softly asks as he enjoyed the feeling of being this close to Jongin.

“We have all the time in the world now. Enough time to get to know each other again, if you let me.” Jongin beamed at the beautiful man below him.

Another tear left his eye and nodded. “God, I missed you.” He let his tears fall now and hugged the taller.

“I missed you too, hyung.”

•

It’s 2AM and the stars were the same as they were back in 2002. It was like nothing changed between the two of them and the only difference was that they were at Jongin’s balcony in his apartment in Gangnam.

“Have you been doing this alone when I wasn’t around?” Kyungsoo asked the man beside him on the couch they were lying on.

“I couldn’t, it wasn’t the same,” Jongin admitted. “How about you?”

They were tangled together on the large couch, their arms on each other’s waists and their foreheads touching, looking at nothing but each other's eyes.

“I didn’t dare.” He laughed.

“I was serious, you know. About wanting a house with you.”

“What? I don’t get a say if I agree of this or not? Aren’t you cruel, Mr. Kim?” He smiled at the younger and tapped his nose.

“You don’t want to?” Jongin pouted and immediately smiled, eyes shining when Kyungsoo threw his head back laughing.

“Why do you want to build a house with me, Jongin?” He placed his forehead back next to Jongin’s.

“So you never leave my sight again, of course.” Jongin beams.

Kyungsoo clicks his tongue and flicks Jongin on the forehead. “Answer me seriously.”

“I told you before I wanted to live in a house, and I’ve always wanted to share it with you,” Jongin looks away and feels a blush coming on to his cheeks, “I want to marry you and live our lives together.” Jongin laughs at the shock on Kyungsoo’s face before the other laughs as well and hits him on the chest.

“You can’t just say that so suddenly, you fool!” Kyungsoo’s face was red as well now.

It felt as if the both of them were drunk from each other at that moment. Maybe the time got to them, all those years of being apart, all the words not said.

“You’re talking about marriage already but you haven’t kissed me once, Mr. Kim. How am I to marry someone who has no—“ Kyungsoo gets cut off with lips upon his.

He feels as plush lips on his own trying to get some kind of reaction from him and he eventually does, moving his lips with the other. It feels so right to finally kiss him, all those years spent apart and with the wrong people. Everything now just feels like as if this should have been done from the very start. It ends sweetly and Jongin closing his eyes in embarrassment.

“Oh? How dare you kiss me when we aren’t even dating yet?” Kyungsoo teases.

“Shut up.” He kisses him again. “So when do we start planning our home, Mr. Do?”

“Haven’t we started already, Mr. Kim?”


End file.
